Chan Yeng Kit to step down as Permanent Secretary for Health, take over as SPH Media CEO from Jul 15

SINGAPORE: Mr Chan Yeng Kit will step down as Permanent Secretary for Health and take over as CEO of SPH Media from Jul 15.

The Public Service Division (PSD) announced on Monday (Apr 8) that he will be seconded to SPH Media, which publishes news titles such as the Straits Times, the Business Times and Lianhe Zaobao. The move came less than a month after Mr Chan was appointed to the board of SPH Media.

Mr Chan, 59, takes over from Ms Teo Lay Lim, who has been SPH Media CEO since March 2022. Ms Teo is retiring from SPH Media, the company said in a press release.

Ms Lai Wei Lin will succeed Mr Chan as Permanent Secretary for Health from Jul 15.

Before that, she will relinquish her appointments as Permanent Secretary for Transport Development and Second Permanent Secretary for Finance on Jul 1 and be appointed Permanent Secretary for Health (designate).

NEW SPH MEDIA CEO

Mr Chan was chairman of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) for nine years before he stepped down to join the board of SPH Media Holdings in March.

As Permanent Secretary for Health, a role he took on in December 2019, Mr Chan was involved in the government's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and implement safe management measures. 

It was one of the many positions he held over the years across various ministries, including trade and industry, education and defence.

His career in the civil service started in 1989 when he was Assistant Director in the Public Service Division of the Ministry of Finance.

He was later seconded to the labour movement and to Keppel Corporation where he was involved in a consortium developing the Singapore-Suzhou Industrial Park in China.

In 2005, Mr Chan was appointed CEO of the InfoComm Development Authority of Singapore, an agency which came under the then-Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

He was the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence before moving on to the Health Ministry. 

SPH Media Trust began operating as a not-for-profit entity in December 2021 after the media business was hived off from listed company Singapore Press Holdings.

Its chairman Khaw Boon Wan said Mr Chan would support the newsrooms "to tap digital platforms to reach new audiences and build a sustainable commercial model".

“We are grateful to Lay Lim for kick-starting our organisation's digital transformation. Yeng Kit will build upon the foundations that she has built,” he added. 

Mr Chan said: "I am thankful for this opportunity to lead Singapore’s premier news organisation, one that has left an indelible impact on the lives of generations of Singaporeans. 

“I look forward to working with my SPH Media colleagues to better serve Singapore, Singaporeans and our partners."

The government said in February 2022 that it would provide up to S$900 million (US$666 million) in funding support for SPH Media Trust over the next five years.

So far, around S$320 million has been disbursed to SPH Media across FY2022 and FY2023. It did not receive the full funding as some key performance targets were not met, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said in parliament on Mar 1.

"CALM AND LEVEL-HEADED"

In a Facebook post, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung thanked Mr Chan for his contributions to the ministry, highlighting his efforts during the pandemic. 

Noting that Mr Chan was posted to MOH a month before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Mr Ong said that Mr Chan sometimes quipped that he "might have been a jinx for the ministry". 

"I like to think that his posting was prescient, and he came to MOH where he was most needed," wrote Mr Ong. 

The multi-ministry COVID-19 task force could not have functioned without Mr Chan’s contributions in the background, he added. 

Mr Ong also noted Mr Chan’s leadership in several key national initiatives, such as Healthier SG and the ramping up of healthcare manpower.

“He is always calm and level-headed, and offers insights and practical solutions that only years of experience can bring,” the minister said.

"Yeng Kit will move on to his next challenge, at SPH Media. It is a different challenge, but one which I believe his innate qualities and years of experience in public service will bring to bear.

"Thank you and all the best, Yeng Kit. The MOH family will miss you."

NEW PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH

Ms Lai, 48, will be the Permanent Secretary for Health from Jul 15.

She held various appointments in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of National Development and the Civil Service College before joining MOH as a director in 2009.

She was appointed MOH's Deputy Secretary (Policy) in 2015.

About two years later, she was appointed Deputy Secretary (Policy) at the Ministry of Education (MOE).

She served as Second Permanent Secretary for Education from 2019 to 2021, and concurrently as Permanent Secretary for Law from 2020 until 2022.

In 2022, she was appointed as Permanent Secretary for Transport Development and as Second Permanent Secretary for Finance.